The academic year in Germany is split into two semesters - winter and summer. The winter semester starts on the 1st of October and ends on the 31st of March. The summer semester starts on the 1st of April and ends on the 30th of September.

Lecture period and examination period

At Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences, classes run from the 1st of October to around mid February in the winter semester and from the 1st of April to around mid July in the summer semester. In the last weeks of the lecture period and in some cases also in the first weeks following the lecture period, there will be examinations.

After the examination period up to the end of the semester there is the, so-called, lecture-free period (also called semester break) during which no classes are offered. 

Holidays

The most important holidays where no classes will be held (and shops and banks remain closed) are:

• Heilige Drei Könige (Epiphany): January 6th
• Ostern (Easter: Good Friday and Easter Monday): March/April
• Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension Day): Beginning of May
• Pfingstmontag (Whit Monday): End of May
• Tag der Deutschen Einheit (German Reunification Day): October 3rd
• Reformationstag (Reformation Day): October 31st